Rebecca shares her future moment in the Gallery of Hope, a photography exhibition made in collaboration with people living with incurable secondary breast cancer.
It’s 2027. I’m at my 50th birthday party with all my closest family and friends. There are balloons, there’s a buffet and most importantly… a dancefloor. That’s where I’ll be all night, dancing with my girls to our favourite songs.
Rebecca lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and their 2 young daughters. Before having children, she was a secondary school English teacher. But her love of English goes way beyond teaching it, being a keen poet herself with a deep love for the works of Mary Oliver and Walt Whitman.
Rebecca first noticed a lump whilst breastfeeding but, due to the COVID pandemic, struggled to get a GP appointment quickly. When she finally did get to see a doctor, she was immediately rushed for tests and was soon diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2021. But 9 months later, after sessions of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a mastectomy, she was sadly informed that the cancer had spread to her bones. Now, Rebecca undergoes treatment every day for 3-week periods to keep the cancer under control.
Rebecca's story
What research are we doing into secondary breast cancer?
Secondary breast cancer occurs when breast cancer cells spread from the first (primary) breast cancer in the breast, through the lymphatic or blood system, to other parts of the body.
Our researchers are here working to buy more time for people with secondary breast cancer.
More from the Gallery of Hope
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Mel Ozlem Khaled
Cyprus-born and London-raised, Mel hopes to live to see her dream home built on the east coast of Cyprus.
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Helena Awuakye
Meet Helena, half-marathon runner, dentist, and mum, who's living with secondary breast cancer.
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Michelle Lassiter
Meet Michelle, a loving great-grandmother who's living with secondary breast cancer.
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Nina Lopes
A creative spirit, Nina is living with secondary breast cancer. She wants to live to experience a dream holiday in Japan with her daughter.
